Grow Baby Grow

I am beginning to struggle in the garden. I managed to construct a garden and plant a slew of seeds this year. Seedlings began to show and grow into full grown mature plants. A few vegetables have even graced our garden and ended up on our plates. Pure luck, I suppose. I now am moving into a new territory and it is scary!

I mastered the plant and grow "something" task. Now I need to figure out how to master the plentiful growing of lots of fruits for my labor skill. And I kind of suck. I don't really know what to do. I love planting and watching things grow, but how do I get these planted things to produce loads of delicious produce? Luckily I have my fantabulous Average Person Gardening seed of the month club that not only delivers new seed babies to me in the mail each month, reminding me to continue on and that I CAN DO THIS. But also provide insightful tid bits and information pertaining to a variety of questions I didn't even know to ask via FACEBOOK and their website. The seeds arrive with great punctuality each month and provide me with the continued reminder to put those babies in the dirt and let things grow...practice makes perfect. Ask and learn what you don't know, and continue on!

So thank you my fantabulous Average Person Gardening seed of the month club . Without you I promise I might continue to suck at this gardening thing or worse I might quit. But with you by my side and reminding me to get out there I will succeed!! Check out the fabulous sproutage I have going on from last months seeds!!!

I have 4 new packets of fabulous little seeds just crying out to be placed in some soil and watered and loved and nurtured! I love that just when I begin to feel frustrated my fantastic Average Person Gardening seed of the month club delivers new hope right into my mailbox! So here we go...planting sprouts, digging in dirt and laying out new seeds for new growth! YAY for my brand new seeds of Radish, Broccoli, Cayenne peppers and Parsnip! GROW BABY GROW!!

Average Person Gardening

We are rip roaring right on into the hot and nasty summer months here in Texas. This year however, I have a fabulous little garden that is producing some lovely summer vegetables for my family to munch on. Having this little garden makes the heat tolerable. I find that Baby DIVA and I enjoy being out playing in the summer sun as long as our hands are in the dirt and the water hose is blasting water our direction. And I tell You Baby DIVA LOVES to water the garden! The fresh veggies are outstanding and I can really taste a phenomenal difference. Perhaps it is the taste of success in growing something on my own or perhaps I am just a dang good little grower. Who knows, but we totally dig it. H4L was amazed at the difference in taste a home grown tomato has in comparison to a store bought tomato. I gloated, but only a little.

A friend of mine introduced me to a fabulous web site called Average Person Gardening.com, recently, that is all about Vegetable gardening for you guessed it, people like me, AVERAGE folks who really have no idea what they are doing but LOVE it. I spent some time looking through the information on the website and was quite astounded when I discovered this powerhouse knowledge bank not only offered information pertaining to my light green thumb, but also a snazzy seed of the month club!

For a mere $1.99 a month, you can enroll in the Club and receive 4 packets of seeds each month from the SEED CLUB , AND in addition have access to a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips. I couldn't resist! I quickly contacted Average Person Gardening.com, and let them know I was interested by filling out the easy to use SEED CLUB form. In no time, I received my first set of SEEDS!!

1. Cucumber

2. Radicchio

3. Cabbage

4. Spinach

Mike the Gardener runs the place and I have found nothing but kindness and fabulous assistance from him as I embark on planting my new seeds. I was so tickled. I mean how could one not be. These four packets would have cost me a minimum of $8 in a store and they only come with a couple little lines of planting instructions on the package. Average Person Gardening.com provides me with the seeds, the knowledge, the know how and a resource guide to ask questions whenever I feel in order to gain insight on how to produce the best vegetables from the fantastic seeds provided. I never feel embarrassed or too shy to ask a question; whatever is presented is answered in a group discussion on the Vegetable Gardening FACEBOOK page. It really is amazing and such a wonderful way to gain further growing knowledge.

Baby DIVA and I got busy as soon as the seeds arrived. We planted a few seeds of each vegetable provided and are now waiting on some sproutage. As you can see another fantastic advantage this club provides, beside the seeds, knowledge and learning to produce my own food, is one on one time with my fabulous daughter. A few moments in time where we can dig around in dirt and I can teach her the art of creating something on her own, right after I tell her to not eat the package the seeds come in of course!

If you are interested in learning about Vegetable gardening in any capacity, I suggest checking this group out. The seeds provided by Average Person Gardening.com are great and the resources of endless and plentiful. A great place for beginners and veteran growers alike! Let them know Pink Haired Momma sent you!

Wordless Wednesday

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

How cool is this? I planted these little boogers from little plants and seeds and now they are all grown up and starting to reproduce! I am such a proud plant mom!

Farming in the Burbs

We have our own farmville, right here in the Burbs of Houston, no computer or facebook required! Please send me nothing, I got it going all by myself!

Remember how Baby DIVA and I tried to hurry Spring along this year after suffering through multiple snows here in Texas, something we are not used to all, by planting our garden? We spruced up the back yard with colored pots, flowers, and little baby seedlings of delish foods we hope to munch on over the summer? If you do not then click HERE and HERE to refresh yourselves. Go ahead. I will wait...

So I have totally awesome news. Farming in the Burbs is totally paying off. WE GOT EDIBLES!! This last week Baby DIVA spotted some beautiful flowers unfolding from our farm in the burbs. Every day since, we have gone out to check on these lovely little babies, watering them, talking ot them, making sure they are happy,Yep we CRAZY. But then today, magic happened! We found the beginnings of a baby squash, growing right there in our suburban garden! FARMVILLE meets SUBURBIA! Hot diggity dog!

And then we discovered some bell peppers poppin out! Look MOM TWINS!!

Now I am totally stoked over this fantabulous accomplishment, but I won't lead you to believe I am 100% perfect at the Burb farmin thing, just 99%. You see I also have some little critter munchin my lettuce way before I get a chance. I guess that could be interrupted to mean that I grow super yummy stuff, right? At least that is what I am telling myself and anyone who feels like listening to me. Nonetheless, thanks to a simple swagbucks search, I came up with a cure all for this little critter and have it under control! I will be sure to share this concoction and story in the future!

Oh and one last note. A peculiar thing happened in the garden. It seems the cucumber has grown rather fond of the asparagus and has grown on over and wrrapped its little tentacles around it. Hmmm possibly a Cusparagus in the making?

Garden update

The best little Gardner!

There is something growing in my yard! Seriously! Lots of somethings actually! I am very pleased to announce that so far, nothing has croaked. We even have a few strawberries almost ready for the pickin'! I DID IT! I growed real food! Okay so maybe it is not food yet, BUT it is on the way!

**Must let you know that I wrote this blog post and went outside to snap a picture of my almost ripe strawberries, only to find a DANG BIRD snagged it before me! AHHHHHH!!!**

Purple Potato


My Favorite pot!

Spring is in the dirt!

H4L and I got busy this last weekend, not like that goofballs! We got busy cleaning out our front yard. Mostly because WE want our home to be beautiful and lovely and inviting. We also have found a fabulous fondness to planting and growing our own foods and herbs. But I will not lie, part of the reasoning behind our total re do of our front yard, is in fact that nasty letter we received from the ever annoying Home Owners Association griping to us about how it has been spring for a whole 5 minutes, why haven't we cleaned up the dead vegetation from winter wrath! UGH! They make me so mad. But at least they got us going! What about you? Is your HOA an annoying thorn in your life?

Before: Ugly, Winter burned, neglected

Cleaned, feeling better

Reshaped, re soiled, re planted, grass planted

The beginnings of a fragrant, happy front yard herb garden

Side view of our handiwork

Trash Plantin'

Have you see those Topsy Turvy tomato planters? Sure you have. The commerical comes on all the time, and unless you tivo like we do and fast forward constantly through commericals, you are bound to have seen these. Or if the commercials are not intrusive enough, you then have those fabulous sections at Walmart, Walgreen's and even the grocery store that have all the "as seen on tv" items. You know you stand there checking it all out. We all do. We cant help it. The products are usually fabulous, over priced gimmicks, but nonetheless FABULOUS.

Well I really like the Topsy Turvy planter. I think it is really fun and a great way to grow some veggies. But being the frugal budget Pink Haired Momma I have become, I can not fathom shelling out $20 for it. Not a big fat chance, BUT, I did make my own. Cheap and possibly a little trashy, literally.

I took this Juice container aka the "trashy", washed cleaned, dried, and cut the bottom off.

Then I poked a couple of holes in the side and threaded some simple twine for my "hanging basket" effect.

I then placed a single tomato plant upside down through the neck of the bottle and begin to fill the bottle with some yummy miracle grow veggie soil. Once i reached near the top of the juice container aka my "trashy" planter, I then added two more tomato plants and finished filling with dirt.

At this point I yelped for H4L to come and hang it up on the hook for me, because he is taller and I was way to exhausted from this 5 minute project to find the stool.

So there you have it. For less than $5 and in less that 5 minutes, I made a fabulous "Trashy" Topsy Turvy tomato planter. Who says we cant have it ALL on a budget???

Backyard Adventures

I am so fed up with this crazy winter! I seriously am about to blow! If winter doesn't pack its bag and move on out I think I am going to explode. In my last attempt to persuade winter to leave, I got to working in the backyard. I am hoping that if I begin living and breathing under the premise that "If you build it they will come", that Spring will very soon be on her way to town.

So yesterday Baby DIVA and I went on a backyard adventure. I drank half a monster, you know the energy drink, and several hours later we had a full garden and a new patio. After all I completed yesterday, I am thinking a monster might be in order more often! Don't ask, cause I am gonna tell you all about it!

Now you have probably heard me rant on and on again before about how my pretty little Pink Haired family is on a pretty tight budget. We coupon shop, discount hunt, freecycle stalk, the works, all so I can be a SAHM to baby DIVA; very much worth all the effort! Anyway with this horrid winter and our tight budget we know for a fact that fruits and veggies are gonna tap into our fundage this year, and tap hard. This crazy weather has already began to wreck havoc on the nations food supply. So we are gonna grow our own. Not to mention we also just love fresh veggies, and I am thrilled to finally have a full garden of my very own! I feel so proud seeing those little green leaves sparkle in the sun. almost like giving birth again, well without all the pain. Well you know what come to think of it, the back pain of both are similar....anyway moving on.

Keeping our budget in mind, I devised a cheap, simple and easy to construct plan for our garden. You are probably gonna laugh, but seriously I spent less than 10 bucks on this garden! And just imagine the profit we are gonna have when all the fruits and vegetables mature, 10 bucks spent on a full summer of food! Yippee! It may or may not turn out to be a genius plan, but who cares. It is all about trying and learning and enjoying myself right?

Laying out the design

How did I do this budget conscious garden? I purchased 4 6ft fence slats and assembled them in a box like shape. Now I did not attach the slats with nail or screws, this could be done, but I preferred just using bricks on the corners of the box design, personal preference, I am weird. H4L says i have a little ghetto in me, I just call it Pink Haired white trash, but whatever. After I constructed my square I laid out some black weed cloth to cover the entire inside portion of the box, (already had this leftover from last year). Then I filled the box up with nutrient rich soil and compost from the compost bin I started last spring. Simple. Elegant. Cheap. And I do love playing in the fresh dirt. Feels so cool and I know there are no scary bugs in it yet!

The soil box

Once the soil was in place, Baby DIVA stepped up to help. She planted some various knick knacks she found throughout the yard, careful to only use her feet to bury, as she does not like to get her DIVA hands dirty. After she completed her"planting", I went to work on the planting of baby plants and she went off to terrorize our cat. We have quite the variety this year, some oldies but goodies, like tomatoes, and also some new items like strawberries. I do not know what will grow to perfection, hoping all of it, but as a novice gardener this budget friendly design not only lends a helping hand to my pocketbook, but it also does not allow my spirit to break if one of my little green pals does not perform as expected. Cheap equals a great learning tool also.

Baby DIVA toe planting

My Pink Haired White trash non nailed boards (bricks were free BTW)

So what is Pink Haired Momma growing in this budget friendly piece of earth? As far as baby plants go we have red and orange bell pepper, spinach 2 varieties, a salad green mix, broccoli, tomato, strawberries, lavender, rosemary, and sweet basil. Still in pots and hoping to get some sproutage are butternut squash, zucchini, cucumber, and cilantro. I am already plotting and planning all the yummy treats I can concoct in the kitchen with fresh veggies and herbs. I can not wait. In no time I might just be that crazy Pink haired lady out singing and chatting to her little green leaf friends. Commit me.

My fun cheap little garden

Oh and the garden is not all that went down! After Baby DIVA and I completed the fabulous little backyard garden a second adventure presented itself. Yep. I had an ADD moment when I needed to move a stone out of the way of the new garden. Figured if I moved one might as well move 100 or so. Sometimes I wonder about myself and my "ideas". But it worked out wonderful. All by myself, lifting each stone one by one, I built a patio. I am quite proud, but man I am sore and tired. But now H4L, Baby DIVA and myself have a pleasant area to sit at in the backyard while dining on the fabulous fruits of my labor, well in a few months at least!

Patio built by Pink Haired Momma!

Color Yard

I am so tired of winter. I am bored with all the Gray skies and cold temperatures. I am so tired of being cooped up inside. Baby DIVA is going stir crazy too. Doesn't mother nature understand that toddlers need to RUN outside and breathe in the fresh air? Tissue paper gardens and fake construction paper suns just ain't cutting it anymore!!!

We finally had a day of sunshine this last week. And on top of Mr. Sun coming out to visit, mother nature also gave us temps in the upper 60's. Baby DIVA and I awoke and dressed and sat at the back door waiting for the sun to warm the back yard just enough that we could venture out into the wonderful world of our backyard. Armed with cans of spray paint, I was determined to add "color" into our world, just in case Mr. Sun decided to return to his winter vacation home.

We simply sprayed a few plain clay pots with all different colors of spray paint. Nothing fancy. Just simple color added to whatever we had laying around the house. Baby DIVA really enjoys pinwheels, so until spring has made itself known, these are all that will live in our pots. It adds a bit of whimsical color to the yard. Not to mention is was just utterly fabulous to be outside soaking up the sun all day!

The pretty colorful corner of our yard that is begging Spring to please come soon!!

It must be near...

I think Winter must be packing its bags. I found this hiding in my backyard yesterday!!

It is quite small, hiding amongst the dead debris left by frequent freezes us Texans are not quite used to; but it is in fact green vegetation and is showing signs of growth!! Yippee!!

Not dead Herbs

My domestication process has been in full swing in the culinary department the last few months. I have learned that a whisk really makes difference when mixing as opposed to a simple spoon. I have learned how to cook raw meat and serve it so that it doesn't bleed all over those folks chowing down on it. I have learned to appreciate that salt is not the only spice to be utilized. I have also learned that there is quite a difference between fresh and dried spices. I attribute this not only to the domestication process but to the simple fact that I am no longer a smoker. My palate is open and I can taste, smell and eat like never before! This fun fact brings me to my recent breakthrough; Fresh herbs provide a variety of tastes in my food that dried herbs just can not begin to harness. I like these yummy tastes, A LOT.



So I got an Aero Garden. I know maybe I just should plant some good ol' seeds in the dirt in the backyard and help the environment and blah blah blah. Well I have tried that. I killed my herbs. The only survivor is Rosemary, and let me tell you my Rosemary is this size of a toddler. The shrub is HUGE. But everything else croaked. And I really try, but man the summer and our freaky winter this year have killed everything.



The Aero Garden is a fabulous little Kitchen gadget that grows fresh herbs right in my Kitchen, without dirt mind you! Fabulous! Oh and since little Aero Garden is right in my Kitchen, I no longer have to say "I was too lazy to walk outside" and cut my fresh herbs (ie. Rosemary). Which I have told H4L on more than one occasion.

It was a breeze to set up. The instruction manual was easy to read and follow. In less than 5 minutes I had the entire thing set up and my little seed pods under lights cooking away. Now I must wait 5-7 days to see some sprouts...